Baptism with the Holy Spirit and praying in tongues:
Did you know that there are more than 600 million people baptised with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues since the Azuza Street (Pentecostal) Revival in the early 1900’s? We are living in the age of the Holy Spirit! While God is restoring Biblical truths, our part is not merely to acknowledge the truth, but to live in them.
Galatians 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
So, what does the Bible say about the baptism with the Holy Spirit:
As part of our commissioning to go and disciple nations He said the following signs will follow the believers: Deliverance, speaking in new tongues (sign and language of baptism with the Holy Spirit), handling poison without harm and healing sick people!
Mark 16:15-18 he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The second thing to notice that just after He gave the commissioning, He commanded them to wait for empowermentto do the work.
Luke 24:48,49 You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:4,5,8 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This promise was not only for the disciples in Bible times, but for us today (with the witness of 600 million people that have experienced it).
Acts 2:38,39 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
We fit into the “for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” category!
So, if you are a Christian, then you should know that the Lord called you to Himself. That scripture also states that it is for everyone (that is a Christian) and it is for ALL.
You shall receive power:
Power [dunamis}
Strong’s definition:
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): – ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Thayer Definition:
1) strength power, ability
1a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
1b) power for performing miracles
1c) moral power and excellence of soul
1d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
1e) power and resources arising from numbers
1f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
This is what we received when we received the baptism of the Holy Spirit! No wonder Apostle Paul prayed that we receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation- to realise what we have received.
Ephesians 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may knowwhat is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable [and unlimited and surpassing] greatness of his power toward us who believe…
Pray this: Father God, reveal to me what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of Your power in me!
If we only knew. It is the same power that Jesus used to perform the miracles we read in the Gospel, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, now residing and working in us. We need to appropriate, apply and exert the power of the Holy Spirit in us!
The waiting time is over: The age of the Holy Spirit was birthed on the day of Pentecost. And we still receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit the same way: By faith!
Galatians 3:2-6 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
See the accounts in Acts:
Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:38 -41 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 8:5,12,14-17 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9:17-19 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
Acts 10:43-47 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Acts 19:1-6 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
You can see an undeniable pattern in Acts (and in Jesus’ great commission and command to wait for the promise of the Father and to receive power).
People repented from their sin and dead works so that they can follow Jesus as Lord and King.
People were baptised in water.
People were filled with the Holy Spirit.
People who were baptised with the Holy Spirit did not just the ability to speak in tongues as an initial sign, but as a spirit language with loads of benefits.
The question is no longer, is it for today or can anyone receive such a “spirit language”. The Bible- the Word of God is very clear on that.
Mark 16:17,18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 10:44-46a While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
The real question is: Do you know what is taking place while you pray in tongues?
The Bible is clear that when you pray in tongues that your mind is unfruitful (1 Corinthians 14:14), so it is not an intellectual thing, nor is it an emotional thing. When you pray in tongues, your renewed, reborn spirit pray!
1 Corinthians 14:14,15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
So, according to scripture- to pray in tongues is to pray in the spirit! And Paul says we must do both (pray in the spirit and pray with my mind).
Paul links praying with the spirit with spiritual warfare and the armour of God:
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…
Not only is praying in the spirit linked with spiritual warfare, but it is also linked to interceding for the saints. What am I trying to say? There is something more to this than just some doctrinal debate. And while denominations and churches are fighting views and opinions- there is a REAL spiritual battle going on- and we need all the weapons the Lord gave us if we want to see victory in the Name of Jesus!
I want to share with you some reasons and benefits for praying in tongues:
1.It is a consistent Scriptural initial evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
2. It is God’s will for us.
God speaking through Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:5 Now I would have you all speak with tongues…
Pau also said: 1 Corinthians14:18 I thank my God that I speak more languages than all of you; …
Note the intimate emphasis- I thank my God. Praying in tongues increases and strengthens the awareness of one’s personal intimate relationship and fellowship with God.
3.When we pray in tongues the Holy Spirit ministers to our weaknesses and inadequacies according to the will of God for us.
It is a means of cleansing and release!
Rom 8:26,27 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Holy Spirit prays out all the complexes, inhibitions and negative thoughts which have hindered us; and He prays us into the positive, powerful, beneficial purpose of God for our life. Praying in tongues is one of the most powerful means of “renewing the spirit of the mind”.
4.It is a means of personal edification.
1 Corinthians 14:4 The one who speaks in a tongue edifies (builds up) himself…
* Thayer Definition to edify:
1) to build a house, erect a building
1a) to build (up from the foundation)
1b) to restore by building, to rebuild, repair
2) metaphorically
2a) to found, establish
2b) to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness
I really believe if we pray in tongues on a daily basis, we will experience less stress and depression!
Doctor Carl Peterson (M.D.) conducted a study at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a brain specialist he did a research on the relationship between the brain and praying in tongues. He found that while praying in tongues, the brain releases 2 chemical secretions that are directed into our immune system giving a 35 to 40 boost to the immune system.
Wow- you can physically restore your emotions and body by regularly praying in tongues!!
5.It is a realm of intimate spiritual communion with God.
1 Corinthians 14:2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him,but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
The primary purpose of praying in tongues is not to speak to people, but to God. Communicating with God in this manner we are free from limitations and restrictions of our mind. We pray deep mysteries by the Spirit.
Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
6.It keeps us conscious of the Holy Spirit in us.
When you pray in tongues, you are instinctively aware of the Holy Spirit within you. You experience the streams of living water flowing through and in you!
7.It helps us to trust God more completely.
Praying in tongues is supernatural- it is an act of faith. You are practising to step out in faith and rely on God to do it through you. Your act of obedience shows your trust in God for your personal edification.
8.It is a ministry of praise, worship and thanksgiving to God.
1 Corinthians 14:16,17 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
Acts 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Ephesians 5:18,19 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…
1 Corinthians 14:14,15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the mind.
9.Praying in tongues is a scriptural means of maintaining the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit…
Praying in tongues is a valid means of keeping filled with the Holy Spirit.
10.It is a key to bringing in the mind of Christ over our own mind.
James teaches that the tongue controls the body. It is like a ship’s rudder… (James 1:26; 3:1-18).
When we offer our control centre (our tongues) to the Holy Spirit, He bring our conversation and eventually our bodies under Christ’s control. Our surrender to the Holy Spirit in this regard is a release of waters of life…
11.It enables you to “pray in the Spirit”.
1 Corinthians 14:14,15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the mind.
12.If we can pray in the spirit, it opens the door to Holy Spirit intercession!
Romans 8:26,27 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
When we pray in tongues, we allow and create an opportunity to intercede for the saints according to the will of God. This is mind blowing: If the Holy Spirit intercedes while we pray in tongues, we will ALWAYS pray Gods perfect will over a situation! Nor we, or the devil will be able to step in and mess something up, because we and the devil does not understand what we just prayed! This is what I will call perfect intercession!!
13.Praying in the spirit is one of the most effective spiritual weapons for spiritual warfare.
We have established already that the wat to pray in the spirit is to pray in tongues. So through spirit prayer, we can engage spiritual warfare!
2 Corinthians 10:3,4 For though walking about in flesh, we do not war according to flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds…
Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world’s rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:17,18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
We know the armor of God and heard a lot of teachings, but you will see that the only defensive weapons are coupled together here: The Word of God and praying in the Spirit!!
Remember what Paul said- we cannot do spiritual battle with physical weapons! The weapons that we have received that is mighty through God is IN THE SPIRIT.
14.The baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is the key to walking in the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and our Spiritual inheritance.
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
God the Father and the Son is in heaven, and if we want to see Heaven manifest on earth, it will be through God the Holy Spirit.
Can you start to see the simplistic heavenly pattern? If praying and singing in tongues the way is to sing and pray in the Spirit, it will also by the way to walk in the spirit, etc.
Remember, to walk in the Spirit, means not to walk in the flesh! It is about surrendering to the Spirit and the things of the Spirit and not to the flesh. As already mentioned, – by praying in tongues, you surrender your body to the Spirit, helping you to walk in the Spirit!
Galatians 5:16-18 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:24,25 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Spiritual gifts:
1 Corinthians 12:1,4,7-11 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Spiritual inheritance:
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…
Ephesians 1:16-18 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…
Galatians 3:14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Wow, the blessings of Abraham will come to us through receiving the promised Spirit!
15.Praying in tongues is a scriptural means to build your faith.
Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit…
16.You activate dunamis power through praying in tongues.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Matthews 15:17,18 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
Matthews 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Rom 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. In ancient times, the gate of the city let people in and out of the city. In the natural, the mouth is the gate to the stomach, but Jesus said it is also the gate to our heart and soul. It is with the mouth that we confess the Lord Jesus Christ allowing Him to come into our hearts. It is with the mouth that we exercise our faith to accomplish great things for God.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Ephesians 1:19,20 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…
As we pray in tongues, we access that immeasurable greatness of His miraculous power in us. And that unlocks the supernatural!
Please see that again, it is Important to see how Jesus coupled speaking in tongues with signs, wonders and miracles:
Mark 16:17,18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So, if you want to do what Jesus said, you have to embrace His command and the revelation of what Paul teaches about praying in tongues!
Luke 24:49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:4,5,8 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1 Corinthians 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
Not only did he speak in tongues more- he received more revelation knowledge than the other disciples, and please look at the signs wonders and miracles that happened through this man…
No wonder he said: 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
If you haven’t yet received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and you desire it, you do not have to wait any longer.
You can just ask any person you know that already received the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues to pray with you to receive it.
If you do not have someone like that, you can just pray this prayer: Father God- this is your promised gift to all who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. I have repented from my sin and accepted Him as Lord and Saviour of my live. So I ask you Father to baptise met with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, baptise met with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Streams of living water starts to flow from the inside of me! Thank you, Father.
Now, start to pray in your new prayer language! When you receive this language, your mind is unfruitful- meaning it does not understand what is happening. Even though your mind is unfruitful, you still have to do the speaking. So any strange words that come to mind, you just pray it out loud by faith. Your mind might think you are crazy or making the words up, but do not be disturbed- you mind is just trying to make sense of a spiritual thing, and it does not have the ability to do so because something spiritual is happening to you and it has to be spiritually discerned!
So, just magnify the Lord with your new prayer language. Remember- you do the speaking, and you cannot speak in two languages the same time. So if you want to speak in your spirit language, you have to stop speaking in your native language.
